Shimpaku from Evergreen Gardenworks

[Curtis]

Oh yeah, thats coming back real nice! Cant wait to see this one styled.

 

[Dav4]

Ryan Neil is coming next year...

Really, really, really jealous in GA!

 

[fore]

Make that two of us Dave! Coming along very nicely Brian!

 

[fore]

Brian, I had forgotten about this one surprisingly. About the history you posted in the first post, one stayed in a nursery container and didn't grow much, but not sure about this one. Did Brent grow this one in the ground for all that time or in a larger pot? When I last spoke with Brent, I believe he told me that the growth was equal in both pots and the ground due to being able to fertilize it heavily.

So when is Ryan coming to help you on this tree? Soon I hope

 

[evmibo]

Oh man, I remember when you posted this a couple years ago. Have you and Ryan worked on it yet? Brent does one hell of a job raising quality material doesn't he?

 

[KennedyMarx]

That is great material! Does Brent usually sell juniper specimens? There isn't a single one on the site listed in the conifers section.

 

[fore]

That is great material! Does Brent usually sell juniper specimens? There isn't a single one on the site listed in the conifers section.

I'd still consider this tree originally as bonsai stock vs. a specimen imo. Specimen to me means a finished tree. But Brent, Don, Chris of Telperion and even Brussels, all have fantastic stock that isn't on their webpages. You have to contact them, tell them what you're looking for and the budget and then they will email some photos of possible candidates. I did this for my small kishu from Brent, and a great JBP from Brussels.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Quick update...getting eager to work on this one in November. It has about 3 naturally good fronts; none really making use of the horizontal trunk. The more upright one just has better taper and movement. Wonder what Ryan will see...

 

[october]

Outstanding material! Must be tough looking at it everyday and having to wait to work on it.

Rob

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here's the direction I have decided to take this tree. The goal is to create a slow spiraled double live vein on the right trunk, and ultimately convert the left branch to a Jin. At some point, I'll have to decide between positioning the foliage over the base, or right of it, leaving the left Jin longer to balance it.

 

[Dan W.]

This will be an awesome tree Brian.

 

[misfit11]

Here's the direction I have decided to take this tree. The goal is to create a slow spiraled double live vein on the right trunk, and ultimately convert the left branch to a Jin. At some point, I'll have to decide between positioning the foliage over the base, or right of it, leaving the left Jin longer to balance it.

A bold move, Brian... and I think it is the right one. The movement is in the trunk you are keeping and the other one moves your eye away in the other direction. At the same time, though, you've got to pause for a moment before doing such a drastic change to what is great material. I'd be like, "am I totally going to regret this?".

Show us the result of your efforts.

Cory

 

[october]

I like the idea very much. Are you planning on doing the chop on the right side in one sitting? I mean chopping the right side off back to where your jin will be. Personally, I think this tree could take it. If it were mine, I would do the chop, but I wouldn't do any wiring work and maybe leave the carving and wiring for the following season. This is a beautiful tree. I look forward to seeing the progression.

Rob

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A bold move, Brian... and I think it is the right one. The movement is in the trunk you are keeping and the other one moves your eye away in the other direction. At the same time, though, you've got to pause for a moment before doing such a drastic change to what is great material. I'd be like, "am I totally going to regret this?".

Show us the result of your efforts.

Cory

Thanks Cory...pausing for a moment, yes, it actually took close to 2 years of looking, prodding, and turning before getting to the point I was ready to commit to this design.

I like the idea very much. Are you planning on doing the chop on the right side in one sitting? I mean chopping the right side off back to where your jin will be. Personally, I think this tree could take it. If it were mine, I would do the chop, but I wouldn't do any wiring work and maybe leave the carving and wiring for the following season. This is a beautiful tree. I look forward to seeing the progression.


Rob

Thanks Rob... the Jin in the virt is actually just a Shari that incorporates the recently-cut branch as Jin. Everything above it remains...for now.

The plan is to go slow and manual, the right side shari/jin first (photo 2-3), then working back the left branch into jin (photo 4), and with the spiraled Shari coming last over the course of a year or two.


A little teaser...

 

[Poink88]

Nice design goal...hope you do not encounter any flow disruption on your new live vein (I am sure you thoroughly checked it before starting though).

I also hope you saved the cuttings...compared to the tiny ones I am buying those are monstrous.

Good luck!!!

 

[fore]

I too like the direction you're going Brian. That main trunk is incredible.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Update after weekend work...
May do some wiring and Jin the left branch later this fall, and begin adding sharis that will eventually become the spiral carving in the spring.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Amazing, just amazing. Your posts give us new folk something to aspire to. Thanks.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Quick update...decided on a trunk line and applied a wire (it's first wire in the almost 2 years I've had the tree). Here is a shot wired, then with the left branch covered, and a couple virts showing the eventual/possible profile and shari.

 

[cascade]

Honestly, when you tilt the tree 45 degrees you get the same configuration like in this beautiful composition ( downloaded from Bonsai Empire website):



Just a thought.

Best,
Dorothy